Refresh My Nest: Post-Thanksgiving Update

Whew. What a week! I posted a pretty ambitious list of things I needed to do during this break and I’m back to report on what I got accomplished and what I let slide.

I hired a handyman to accomplish the things that are starred(*). The good news is he got a lot done. The bad news is that he did such a terrible job painting that I now need to hire a professional painter to fix his mistakes. I ended up leaving a lot off his to-do list because I just wanted him gone so I could hire someone who was less sloppy. Thankfully a few important things were done correctly, so at least I’m happy those are finished!

Here’s the original list, with notes:

* paint bathroom walls(*)

…but now I need to hire someone to sand and repaint them… they look TERRIBLE!

* hang closet doors in bathroom (*)

* make and hang curtainsHaven’t found fabric yet that I like. I’m going to look online to see if I can find what I’m visualizing.

* wash bathroom mini-blinds

Soaked and scrubbed them in the tub. Worked like a charm!

* put up baseboards in bathroom (*)

Nope– fired handyman before he could do this

* paint heat register (*)

Halfway done. Mr. Sloppy Handyman wanted to spray paint them over my new tile. NO WAY was I going to let him do that!

* nifty mirror idea I have that I probably won’t actually do (*)

Yup, I didn’t actually do it.

* get some recipes together for next weekend’s guests

So proud of myself– cooked two homemade meals and pumpkin bread for my house guests!

* set Thanksgiving table and make sure I have all the correct serving piecesNot sure if you read this update, but we had Thanksgiving at my mother-in-laws so I didn’t need to do anything besides make a sweet potato casserole…

* purchase all food and have recipes ready

* finalize Thanksgiving decor

* replace kitchen window sill (*)

* fix loud pipe in guest room (*)

* clean guest room, including washing duvet cover, making bed, and putting out towelsI also organized the guest room closet. It needed it!

* begin organizing office

It’s getting there. I cleaned a ton of stuff out, shredded papers, got the new filing cabinet in place, and moved a smaller desk into the closet to hold supplies. Things are still in piles against the wall ready to be filed, though! Here are some “befores”. I love how the “urgent” pile also has a note on it that says “shred”. Sigh.

* find a good consignment store and consign my stacks of clothing

We’ll see if it’s a good store or not, but at least I got the clothes out of the house!

* freshen my washing machine

Used baking powder and vinegar. Worked very well! No more musty odor!

* hang hooks in Noodle’s room for her towels and the camera for her video monitor

* clean rugs in nursery and living room (*)

As you can see, I got a lot accomplished (with help) but still have a few things to do. The exciting part {it was exciting for me, I’m a nerd} was that I got many extra tasks finished that I wasn’t planning on. Here they are!

Replaced board outside house that had a woodpecker hole and additional damage from rotting wood (*)

Replaced a window sill in the kitchen that has been off for years. I’m finally able to put my potted rosemary in the window over the winter.

Cleaned out several random piles of junk that had collected in the dining room. Almost ready for guests in there…

Cleaned out a few kitchen cabinets. No matter how many time I go through them, there’s always a few things that can be tossed.

Put up Christmas decorations! YIPPEE!!! I’ll post soon with photos.

That includes getting the tree- I feel so on top of stuff this year!

Organized my laundry area (and added a basket for sample detergents)

Reorganized my “stockpile” in the basement after my big shopping trip. Didn’t realize I had so much still there! I LOVE the pharmacy sales.

Cleaned out and organized my wrapping supplies in anticipation for the season

Cleaned, cleaned, cleaned, cleaned, cleaned!

Laundry: I must have done 20 loads over the past two weeks of clothes to be consigned, all the linens in my linen closet, clothes from vacation, Noodle’s clothes because she’s been throwing up so much– needless to say, a LOT of laundry.

With the holidays coming up, I think most of my Nest Refreshing will be limited to cleaning and not much on the home decorating front (aside from the holiday decorations, of course). Basically, my big projects will have to wait until January. But WATCH OUT in January! We are planning on so much over the next few months and I can’t wait to share. If I complete any projects this month I’ll post them individually so you can take a peek. I have lots of DIY holiday projects to show you, so stay tuned!

Okay, dish to me: what did YOU get done this month? Any refreshing of your nest, big or small? Can’t wait to hear what you’ve been up to!

Meet Carrie Higgins

Dreamer, thinker, + lemon squeezer; you'll usually find me clutching a mug of coffee, glue gun, fandeck of paint colors, and a child at any given time. This mom of two (and wife to one) loves to share freshly squeezed ideas for home and family. Join the adventure as we learn most lemons can indeed become lemonade-- with generous amounts of sweetness, perspective, and love.

Um, I watered my plants Wednesday. ROFL No really, we had my daughter’s third birthday on Wednesday night so we’ve been busting round here like madmen getting things done that needed to be done. Most of it’s good. I need to clean off my desk. It’s covered in those notes that the school sends home in duplicate for each child regarding this, that, and the public library activities.

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Comment

Name *

Email *

Website

Hey there, welcome! I'm Carrie-- a dreamer, overthinker, + lemon squeezer, making it my mission to share fresh ideas for home and family. You'll usually find me clutching a mug of coffee, glue gun, fandeck of paint colors, and a child at any given time. Join the adventure as we learn most lemons can indeed become lemonade-- with generous amounts of sweetness, perspective, and love.